“The anti-liberation forces are out to take revenge as we are trying war criminals, and I hear sometimes that they have embarked on an evil design to eliminate the Awami League lawmakers and leaders and workers who have strong footings in their areas …. annihilating the popular Awami League leaders is their movement,” she said.

The leader of the house came up with the remarks while participating in a general discussion on obituary reference on Liton who was killed by unknown assailants at his Gaibandha village home on December 31.

The prime minister reiterated that the killers of Liton must be given proper punishment, saying that such an incident could not be accepted.

“Such a brutal murder could not be tolerated … we have taken a firm stance against terrorism and militancy and like that we must track down the killers of Liton and hand down proper punishment to them,” she said.

The prime minister also assured that her government would ensure security of the countrymen including the lawmakers. “Let everybody stay safe, we must try our best to ensure it,” she promised.

The leader of the House said the BNP-Jamaat nexus has embarked on killing of the lawmakers when her government has been working relentlessly to ensure peace and development of the countrymen.

“When we developed the living standard of the people and ensured their food security … when the country is moving ahead and getting honour and dignity on the world stage, the BNP-Jamaat nexus launched killing by murdering lawmakers. Awami League MPs, members of law enforcement agencies — nobody escapes from their attack,” she said।
Referring to mayhem and rampage unleashed by the Jamaat-Shibir in 2013 and 2014 as well as the first three months of 2015, Sheikh Hasina said Liton sacrificed his life as he put up a resistance against the BNP-Jamaat terrorism and restored peace and comfort in the life of the Gaibandha people.

“We know well how the Jamaat-Shibir carried out mayhem and rampage in Sundarganj at that time by killing people and policemen, torching and vandalising houses, vehicles, shops and government offices,” she said.

But, she said, Liton had been able to restore peace and comfort in the life of the Gaibandha people by resisting the BNP-Jamaat mayhem and rampage. “It was his offence and for this he had to sacrifice his life,” she said.

The prime minister said Liton also didn’t allow to land Jamaat leader Golam Azam, a war criminal, in Gaibandha. “It may be a crime of Liton before Jamaat,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat clique had established a reign of terror in North Bengal including Gaibandha. “The JMB leaders led by infamous Bangla Bhai staged truck procession carrying arms openly with the patronage of the BNP-Jamaat ministers and MPs,” she said.

The premier said after coming to power, the BNP-Jamaat nexus engaged in killing, torture and rape. They killed Shah AMS Kibria, MP, and Ahsanullah Master, MP, side by side with carrying out massacre by grisly grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.

In 2013 and 2014, she said, the BNP-Jamaat terrorists unleashed atrocities including killing, burning people and vandalizing and torching public and private property to foil general elections.

Sheikh Hasina said the anti-liberation forces killed four members of law enforcement agencies, and tried to kill the freedom fighters who were staying in their offices in Sundarganj.

“They also torched and vandalized houses of 200 AL leaders and workers in the area,” she said, adding, they created such a situation that none was able to stay in his or her home.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat terrorists set fire to 582 educational institutions across the country. They didn’t allow movement of any vehicles on the Dhaka-Rangpur Highway as they patrolled on the road with countrymade weapons like ramda, kirich, dhal and sarki, she said.

The prime minister said they killed nine people through arson attack on a bus and injured many more in Tulshighat. They hacked to death two people named Tarun Dutta and Debesh Pramanik and a Chhatra League leader named Mamun in Sundarganj.
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat unleashed same mayhem and rampage in 2015 to unseat the government. They killed 231 people across the country by arson attacks, she said.

She said pregnant women, truck and CNG drivers, rickshaw pullers, helpers of rail and launch, school teachers and students — none was spared from their heinous acts.

The premier said the people of the locality became victims of the torture and repression of Jamaat-Shibir and Liton put up a resistance against this.

Regarding the shooting Sourav, a boy of Sundarganj, the prime minister said his father is an active worker of Awami League. “Liton had good relations with the family of Sourav. So why he will shoot him?” she questioned.

She said the terrorists on that day waylaid Liton to kill and he made blank fire for his self-defence. “Many (people) had doubt about the shooting incident of Sourav and he might be injured in the blank fire.”

The prime minister said the actual incident was not published in the newspapers at that time, rather it was highlighted in newspapers in such a way that Liton had gone to kill a child.

Highlighting the contribution to Liton to the Awami League and development of his area, Sheikh Hasina said her party has lost a promising leadership in his death.

The prime minister once again prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.